Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader arrives this week, and the first reviews are starting to come in. As a game that can easily take over 100 hours to finish, many reviews are still in progress, though most critics praised how faithfully Owlcat Games captured the atmosphere of the 40K universe.
As an extensive CRPG based on a popular tabletop game, it’s inevitable that Rogue Trader has been compared to Baldur’s Gate 3 in almost every review, though not always favourably. Reviewers have said that Rogue Trader is far more crunchy and complicated than Larian’s newbie-friendly RPG, though it may still appeal to fans of Baldur’s Gate 3.
The main complaint critics had about Rogue Trader was the proliferation of bugs, which will likely be mopped up by future updates after the game’s release. Some also criticized the game’s overly complicated ruleset, though some players will no doubt appreciate the system’s depth. At present, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader has a mixed aggregate review score of 74 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Check out a selection of critic reviews below.
- Game: Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
- Developer: Owlcat Games
- Release Date: December 7
- Price: $40
PC Gamer — 59/100
“If you played Owlcat’s previous RPGs at launch, you’ll be familiar with the feeling you’re playing the worst version of the game. Months down the road there will be expansions that add new companions, a version of the Toy Box mod full of quality-of-life improvements, and a fleet of bug fixes … Until then, keep the parade on hold.” — Jody Macgregor [Full review]
Screen Rant — 4/5
“Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is an excellent adaptation of the Warhammer universe into a genre that some may expect not to work. A compelling RPG with a strong understanding of its original property, it’s a great example of the classic C-RPGs of the 1990s and early 2000s. Although it perhaps does nothing revolutionary, it provides an intriguing and exciting adventure, especially for fans of the tabletop game.” — Rob Gordon [Full review]
IGN — Review in Progress
“Sitting at right around 65 hours into developer Owlcat’s impressively deep and expansive Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, there are a few things I can proclaim with confidence: One is that this game is absolutely huge – I might only be crossing the halfway mark, based on where I am in its intricate but not too difficult-to-follow story. Another is that this is a glorious glimpse into the 40K universe, highlighting elements of it that often go underexplored and showcasing some of my personal favorite races and organizations.” — Leana Hafer [Full review]
NME — 4/5
“Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader nails the gory battles and gloomy atmosphere of its source material, but sometimes feels too big for its own good. Not everyone will enjoy Rogue Trader’s meticulous depth, but those who have the patience to trawl through bugs and over-complicated menus will be rewarded with an intergalactic epic.” — Andy Brown [Full review]
The Gamer — 4/5
“If you’re a 40K fan or just looking for a combat-heavy RPG outside of the normal fantasy fare, Rogue Trader will make a welcome addition to your library. It dives deeper into the setting and lore than any other video game to date, showing that it’s clearly a game by fans, for fans.” — Matt Arnold [Full review]
Rock Paper Shotgun — Review In Progress
“Anybody who’s in the mood for another massive RPG should definitely take an interest, pending my full review. There’s still time for things to go south, mind you. The writing has so far struck a good balance between committing to the worldbuilding, and poking fun at it, but there’s the risk of it becoming over-serious as the stakes are raised. The battle system’s complexities could prove to be inelegant and gratuitous in hindsight. The big thing, for me, is how much choice of alignment changes the story, and how much Owlcat will have to rein in the possibilities as the decisions multiply and evolve.” — Edwin Evans-Thirlwell [Full review]
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